The facility will be able to house up to five companies and each unit will combine cleanroom space and office accommodation while there will be a shared reception area and meeting facilities
A new £6 million facility that will boost Scotland's capabilities in the development of new technologies is to be built in West Lothian.
The facility will provide technology companies working within the micro and optoelectronics sector as well as the emerging nanotechnology sector with unique access to state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities to help them grow their business out of incubator units without having to commit to building their own premises.
Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian will purchase and fit out the 3700m2 building at Starlaw Park in Livingston before handing over to cleanroom specialist Sematek UK, which will install bespoke cleanroom facilities and sub-let individual units to emerging technology organisations.
It will be located in the heart of West Lothian, already renowned for its expertise in developing new technology, and close to other world-leading facilities at the Alba Campus and the Institute of Systems Level Integration.
The centre will help to meet industry demand for bigger, self-contained cleanroom environments to enable companies to 'graduate' out of incubator units such as the Scottish Microelectronics Centre in Edinburgh and Photonix in Glasgow.
It will be the only facility of its type in Scotland and will support the growth of emerging technologies and ensure Scotland can retain some of its most promising technology companies and attract new foreign investment.
The centre is expected to create more than 50 new high value jobs per annum while generating an additional £40 million to the Scottish economy over the next 15 years.
Neil Francis, director of growing business at Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian, says: "We are delighted to that we have been able to secure a unique partnership with Sematek UK which will enable us to develop an innovative flexible model of support that will meet the needs of the industry and address a critical barrier of growth.
"Currently, we have a situation where some companies are staying in incubator units well beyond incubation stage due to the high costs associated with establishing and running their own cleanroom environment.
"This is limiting the growth of these companies while also preventing young entrepreneurial companies from accessing space at the incubator units.
"This new facility will encourage a greater flow of technology businesses in Scotland, supporting their growth up to a stage where they can commit enough financial resources to building their own facility.
"The companies that will be attracted to this facility will have significant growth potential and it will ensure that we can retain these businesses in Scotland and ensure they can grow into the technology stars of the future and deliver more employment and investment opportunities for Scotland going forward".
Cumbernauld-based Sematek UK designs and develops cleanrooms and associated facilities, with more than 20 years experience in the UK and international market.
John Roseman, chief executive, added: "We are delighted to be working with Scottish Enterprise on this project.
"By working together we aim to provide a manageable cost of tenancy in the centre that will allow the client companies a secure and dependable environment to maintain growth and build on their current business success.
"We have designed the building around an adaptable solution and will be working with companies at an early stage to ensure the individual units are customised to their specific requirements.
"We will also be offering companies tailored assistance and technical support to help support their business needs".
Work is due to begin on-site in January and the facility is expected to be complete by May 2008.
